Laurie Itkin is Founder of The Options Lady and an investment advisor with Coastwise Capital Group. Her passion is educating and empowering women to take control of their money, overcome their fear of the stock market, and grow the money they work so hard to earn. She specializes in teaching men and women how to use conservative options strategies to increase their probabilities of success in the stock market.

In the book, Empower: Women's Stories of Breakthrough, Discovery and Triumph, Ms. Itkin recounts how she received a $1,600 inheritance when she was 24 and used it to purchase her first shares of stock. In her chapter, she shares her strategy of how she built a million dollar portfolio before she turned 40. She is also author of the forthcoming book, Every Woman Should Know Her Options: A Guide to Successful Investing and Financial Independence.

Ms. Itkin is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she received her B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance.